ALICE SPRINGS OLIVE PINK BOTANIC GARDEN

CLICK ON ANY OF THE PHOTOS AND CLICK AGAIN TO ENLARGE FOR A BETTER VIEW.

You can't visit Alice Springs without going to visit the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens. I searched for information about any guided tours through the garden and couldn't find anything and asking at the gardens came up with pretty much the same answund on the gardens from the website OLIVE PINK BOTANIC GARDENS:

The Garden was founded in 1956 by Miss Olive Muriel Pink as the Australian arid regions flora reserve.

Today we carry on this tradition as an arid zone Botanic Garden specialising in flora from Australia's vast interior.

BROCHURE which contains information about Olive's life and some of the plants growing there. I haven't had the time to identify the plants I photographed today but they may be listed in this brochure.

MAP OF THE GARDEN The garden is laid out as meandering pathways with a Cafe at one end. A very nice Cafe as it turns out, with a selection of gluten free food. I had a delightful late breakfaser. "Ask the guys working around the garden" seemed to be the best and it turned out some of them were really helpful and happy to talk.

Some backgrot of Eggs Benedict on GF toast. There is also a steep (think mountain goat) walk up Annie Myers Hill. Much as I wanted to see the view from the top my vertigo set in about 5m up and I had to turn back....creeping back down the rock steps on my bottom. A little girl raced past me going up. Could have been worse. I could have rolled down head first.

The steps up to Annie Myers Hill. I made up for the loss of this view by heading for Anzac Hill instead.

Some of the plants growing - if you can name them go ahead and I'll add them in.

A Mallee according to Elaine - confirmed by the handbook as a Finke River Mallee.

Seed pods on the Finke River Mallee.

Possibly a Sturt Creek Mallee.

Dense Cassia

Ironwood - root bark is used medicinally by the aborigines.

One of the many Grey-crowned Babblers that live in the gardens. Curious, chatty little beasts that nest communally, extending on nests and making them quite large.

One of the communal nests dotted around in the surrounding trees.

Bower Bird nest under one of the trees. The little bird didn't seem all that phased that I was standing there watching and taking photos. He came and went as suited him.

I was thinking of moving there in times gone by: when the Stuart Highway was dirt and it took so long by road from Port Augusta. Dust. Dust. Dust. --without traffic.

Last time it was something like -4C on the ground where we camped in July -- just out of town, south of the range. You couldn't defrost until the sun rose above the ridge...and fording the Todd was so cold. We tent slept with our feet in plastic bags.

Even then, there was a huge potential for locally grown produce. As it is fuel costs are making 'fresh' extremely expensive in the NT .

Still here until Sunday Dianne. I have been totally blown away by the beauty of the area and the amount of interesting things to see and do. I expected flat red dust, but the place is a garden of various natives plants - many blooming now - and mountain ranges and hills of so many colours. Can see now why my daughter loves living here.

We visited Alice Springs around the same time a few years ago and best time to go we think. So many lovely Plants and unusual animals and reptiles around there. You brought back memories for us. Hope you had a lovely holiday.

Wonderful Lissa! I've only read a little about Olive Pink and almost nothing about the gardens. On the sign it says 'self-guided walks' :-( find that a bit off-putting when you want to id this and that.

Apart from the big-fruited Mallee in the first pix, and a wattle that's it for me with knowing which plant is which.